When you’re more present, you enjoy life more. You savor the moment and feel more connected to those around you. You also find it easier to focus on what’s important and let go of what’s not.
But how do you become more present? Is it a state you’re born with, or is there something you can do to get your mind off the past and future?
Here are several ways to help you become more present:
Make Mindfulness a Habit
What does it mean to make mindfulness a habit? Simply put, this is just an expression of the idea that it’s important to fully experience every moment that you can.
You don’t want to miss out on life by just going through the motions — you want to be present and aware of everything that’s going on around you. You take time to really mull over things in your mind before making decisions.
The goal here is to always be mindful of how you’re feeling, what’s going on in your surroundings, and to take that into account when making future plans.
It’s about being in the moment and knowing how to prioritize things accordingly. Mindfulness is a key part of this strategy because it helps you focus on what matters most rather than letting your mind wander here and there.
Be Aware of How You’re Feeling
We all know that it’s easy to let your mind wander when you’re at work. However, this is something that can hurt your career if you don’t try to stop it. It might be hard for some people to believe, but many employers are willing to forgive minor mistakes so long as they don’t see any signs of them happening again.
This doesn’t mean that you should start slacking off — it just means that you can do a better job when you’re fully aware of your surroundings and the task at hand. If your mind is all over the place, you’ll be much more likely to make silly mistakes and not notice problems until they’re right in front of your face.
Avoid Multitasking
Oftentimes, we convince ourselves that multitasking is a good thing — after all, doesn’t it make life easier?
In actuality, though, the opposite is true — multitasking makes it much more difficult for you to focus on the task at hand, and it actually slows down your overall performance .
You need to remember not to kill yourself by trying to do several things at once. It’s fine if you want to bring work home with you or check your phone from time-to-time, but don’t let this become a habit that affects all aspects of your life.
Make a Daily List of Goals
In order to be more present, it’s very important for you to have a list of goals that you can work through every day. When you wake up in the morning, just take a few minutes to write down your top priorities.
For example, if one of your goals is to better communicate with your partner, then you should make it a point to be more open and honest with them. If another goal is to eat healthier, then try out some new recipes so that you don’t get bored.
You can also list things that are distracting you from reaching your goals — either remove the distractions or figure out a way to deal with them. For example, if you have a collection of comics that you really want to read but it’s taking up too much space in your living room, then try moving them into a storage unit so that they’re not in the way anymore.
Don’t Be Afraid to Slow Down
When you’re stressed out and constantly rushing from one place to another, it’s going to make life more difficult — plain and simple. You don’t have time for pleasantries anymore, and that’s a sign of bigger problems down the road.
Try to take a few moments throughout the day to slow down and relax. For example, if you’re walking from one place to another, make it a point not to look at your phone while you do so — instead, try looking up at the sky or taking some deep breaths. Even something as simple as stopping for a couple of seconds will do wonders for your overall well-being.
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